Tag Archives: Wet

Hard work but every so necessary. Without water we would not have crops. And here we must water with syphon tubes or gated pipe.

First we had to clean out the ditches—these ditches are terrible for collecting trash from our fields and neighbor fields, that Colorado wind, you know. 🙂

Then while Terry marked out the fields I picked up all the syphon tubes I so carefully put away last fall and placed them in their proper slot on the ditch.

After which it was time to start the water…Terry does the head gate thing, I’m a tad ‘feared of the head gate. Scary roaring powerful thing that it is.

Then we both start digging out the ends so we can lay the tubes into them. The tubes suck the water from the cement or dirt ditches and channel the water down the rows. Gated pipe is much easier, you just open a gate. BUT trash gets in the pipe, plugs up the gates, you can’t get it out without tremendous work…a stick took both us four hours to get it out…it was just out of reach and we couldn’t get it…then it trapped all the weeds….ick.

We do this over and over until all the furrows are full….we set about 40 tubes per field.

In eight hours that set has the soil wet enough we can move on up the ditch. Right now we have two fields we are working in. Two areas to dig out ends, walk the water down the row to make sure it keeps going straight and doesn’t cut over into a neighboring furrow.

Lots of work…but you know what!? I love it! I love the smell of the water when it first hits the bone dry soil, and I love the rich, moist smell of the fields after the water is removed.

We check constantly making sure everything is working well. The first irrigation of the season is the worst, (in the terms of work), but once the rows seal, the plants are up, it’s just a matter of setting tubes and making sure the water makes it to the end (so the next field can get some.)

Sure is a nice life…if Terry had dirt in his veins, then I have irrigation water in mine. Tee Hee.

We had a wee fog this morning, caused by very cold temperatures from the very wet ground (the sun came out yesterday afternoon…Boomer and I went out and danced on the lawn, it was too wet to take a walk. 🙂 )

And the very lovely clear sky and the warmer canal water.

I’m wondering if we had a freeze. It is possible.

The grass was rather crunchy when I walk out to get some early photos…as the day warms up I will be able to tell.

It’s time. Actually, a little late. But that is okay, I’ve enjoyed the warmth while it lasted. 🙂

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Life on a Colorado Farm

My name is Linda Brown. I live on a farm on the western slope of Colorado, in the high mountain desert. I’ve lived here all my life, hailing back four generations on my father’s side. Today I blog about our farm, the everyday activities that keep the farm going. I also write about my thoughts and dreams and goals. On Friday’s I always write about our two farm dogs (Fuzzy (now over the rainbow bridge) and Boomer) and their take of their life on our farm.
The lovely thing about blogging it opens the world up for all of us to reach out and meet people from many different cultures and different ways of life. You can find me every day (but Saturday) at https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
Your Friend on a Western Colorado Farm,
Linda Brown